


Destination: Anywhere

by TrioMaxwell



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Eventual Happy Ending, Gen, M/M, Prompt Fic, Slow Build, Survivor Guilt, Very Slow Build Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2014-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 20:56:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1872174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrioMaxwell/pseuds/TrioMaxwell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Long Road Trip AU.</p><p>Written for this prompt:</p><p>A is running away from something in their past.Walking along the road because their car broke down, they’re determined to put as much distance between them and what they’re running from as possible. B, driving away from something also, aimlessly wandering or possibly just trying to get to a destination, stops and picks up A. They spend the next few days/weeks/however long getting to know one another, connecting, sharing their lives, crying, laughing, traveling together, doesn’t even have to be a ship, could just be an incredible friendship. and in the end they can part ways forever changed or stick together. however it pans out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Need To Move On From Here

**Author's Note:**

> I ... have no excuse. Except that maybe, this is the road trip that I would like to go on. 
> 
> Sei's schoolbus is based on this article. http://www.cubebreaker.com/architecture-student-creates-the-coolest-schoolbus-ever-in-just-15-weeks/
> 
> I'm so sorry, sometimes, I just write weird stuff.

From this [prompt](http://plotsforall.tumblr.com/post/80710072462/plot-12-anywhere-but-here-submitted-by).

** Destination: Anywhere (Long Road Trip AU) **

Seijuurou lay on the floor in his room and stared at the ceiling in the dark. Guilt sat heavily in his chest, denying him sleep, and he wondered if this guilt would ever go away. Guilt over his parents’ deaths, guilt over quitting school, guilt over selling the house and running away. He stared at the ceiling for a few more minutes, then rolled to his feet, snagging his sleeping bag as he went. To hell with spending the last night in the house. He should have slept in the bus after all.

 

As he padded through the house, he tried not to glance into the rooms in passing. Though it was stripped of all furnishings and and coloured only in orange and black by the streetlights outside, this was still the home he had grown up in. He still saw his parents’ lives echo softly in the rooms, heard them walking to get around the non-existent furniture. As he went past the kitchen, he saw his mother turn around in front of where the fridge used to be, a jar in her hand. _“Seijuurou, honey, come here and help me with this.”_

 

Seijuurou flinched as he fumbled open the main door and fled the house.

 

The schoolbus in the driveway was as dark as the house had been but Seijuurou hurried towards it with an overwhelming sense of relief. He somehow got the door open and slapped on the lights. He jumped a little when he was greeted with a nudge from a wet nose and a curious ‘woof!’.

 

 

He looked down to see the black retriever he had adopted recently, looking at him curiously and wagging its tail in greeting.  _‘Hello! I'm glad you're here! What’s wrong?_ ’ its entire attitude seemed to ask.  

  
“Oh, Black,” he sank to his knees on the floor and the dog nudged itself under his arm, pressing close against him in a canine version of a hug. He hugged it back tightly (tried to take whatever comfort the poor, silly, affectionate animal was trying to offer) and mumbled, “I couldn’t do it after all.”

 

\---------------

End Chpt 1

 


	2. Two Boys and a Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two meet, and they go together.

Sei gratefully accepted the cup of hot coffee from across the counter and curled both his hands around the cardboard warmth. He felt the first sip kick-start his fatigued brain and wipe the cobwebs from his eyes. The cashier dropped the rest of his order in a large paper bag on the counter. “That will be twelve dollars fifty.”

 

Sei slid the money across. "Thanks very much. Nice weather we're having around here." 

 

The cashier smiled at him but did not reply.  _So much for starting a casual conversation_ , Sei thought, feeling  _‘meh_ ’ at the lack of response. He would've welcomed a bit of human interaction, friendly or not. Even if it was just a "Yeah, the weather's always nice like this," Or "No, the weather can be right nasty," would have been... nice.

 

_(The last time someone had spoken to him cheerfully was the checkout cashier at Walmart two days ago. He'd been so surprised that he had told the cashier to keep the change (seven dollars and some coins) and the girl's smile had stayed in his mind for the rest of the day. This cashier lady had seemed like the cheerful sort, had reminded him of his old neighbor (the one with bleached blond, curly hair, screaming red lipstick and ten cats that hung around her backyard). He used to stay at her place when he was younger, when his parents were away for days because of work. Mom, Dad and...)_

 

 _Fuck_ _._  He turned away from the counter, the vinyl floor squeaking beneath his boots, nearly sloshing the coffee in his haste to leave. Apparently, he wasn't as ready for small talk as he had thought.

 

He emerged from the diner blinking against the bright morning sunlight and felt his head swim.  _Could he get to the bus...?_

 

Both paper bag and cup slipped from his hands for some reason, and he tried to catch / hold on to both but somehow ended up missing the cup and  _wow, look at it fall in slow motion, could he still catch it before_...?

 

The cup burst open on hitting the ground, sending long rivulets of black liquid racing down the tarmac.

 

_Hey, doesn’t that look like blood on the road?_

 

_Mikoshiba Seijuurou, oh, you clumsy fuck._

_I didn’t mean for this to happen._

_I’m so sorry._

 

He leaned against the side of the building and covered his eyes with one hand, blocking off the light, tried to weather through the roaring in his ears, stood despite the weight trying to bring him to his knees,  _shitshitshititsallmyfault_ , tried to inhale even though the Guilt had occupied his lungs and was trying to suffocate him.

 

If the attack was this strong even with medication he was taking, what would happen if he ran out?

 

_I would want to d-_

 

"Hey, dude. Are you alright?" A hand fell on Seijuurou’s shoulder and shook him, then patted him awkwardly.

 

Seijuurou slowly uncovered his eyes, and saw a teen about his age looking at him in concern.  _Red eyes, Seijuurou_  thought. They blinked at each other.

 

"Huh?" Seijuurou tried to give a coherent reply, but failed.

 

"Are~ you~ al~ri~ght?" The teen repeated slowly, like Seijuurou was hungover, or something.

 

 _Shit, he needed to answer._  "I'm fine," Seijuurou tried to smile, to come up with for an excuse for his behaviour over the now muted roaring in his ears,  _otherwise it'd look like he was just supremely upset at having spilled his coffee, he thought_. For some reason, he thought it was funny and the roaring subsided a little more. "Just hungry, I think."

 

"Oh..., " Mystery Guy replied, nonplussed. "Do you want something to eat?" He jerked a thumb towards the diner. "I can buy a burger for you, if you want."

 

“Hey, thanks! But I’m fine." Seijuurou waved his paper bag, looking a little worse for wear after being held under his arm in a vise-like grip after so long. “See? I’m good. But thanks.”

 

“Oh, okay. Are you sure you’re alright?” Mystery Guy tried one more time.

 

Seijuurou nodded quickly. The other shrugged, smiled and walked into the diner. He was carrying a backpack, Seijuurou noted. One of the big 60-litre ones, good for two weeks or more of travel.

 

So he was moving on to another place, too.

  
\-----------

 

Seijuurou spent some time on the bus to settle himself. He recorded the attack and dated it in a journal, then forced himself to eat part of the burger and fed the rest to the dog.

 

Finally, he felt safe enough with himself that he could leave. He might not have a schedule to follow but he didn't want to stay at this roadside diner forever.

  
  


He started up the bus and drove it carefully out of the mostly empty carpark. As he checked the road for traffic, he noticed someone some distance away at the side of the road, standing with his thumb out. A hitchhiker, seeking a ride. It was Mystery Guy. 

 

 _He's rather late_ , Seijuurou thought. Not late in the normal sense as it was only ten in the morning, but late to hitch a ride with the drivers driving between towns along the Interstate. You had to be here at the break of dawn to hitch a ride if you wanted to go far. Seijuurou just happened to be the exception. 

 

 _Should he give the guy a ride?_  He was going that way, anyway. Black chose that moment to bark. It planted its paws just under the windscreen. It looked at the hitchhiker, at Seijuurou, then back at the hitchhiker again and shuffled its paws excitedly.

 

"What, you think we should give him a ride?" Seijuurou asked.

 

Black barked twice, excitedly.  _Yes! Why not?_

 

_Well, then._

 

He pulled over and opened the bus door. The teen jogged over as best as he was able to encumbered by the backpack and peered inside hopefully. His red eyes widened in recognition when he saw Seijuurou.

 

"Yo," Seijuurou said. "So, where can I take you?"

 

The teen hesitated then answered, "Anywhere along this road."

 

"That's pretty vague,"Seijuurou said, frowning a little.

 

"Pheonix, then. Are you going to Pheonix?" 

 

Sei was slightly taken aback. Pheonix was the next major city along the road _(although there were other towns along the way)_ , he remembered. It was also over four hundred miles away. "Er...," he said.

 

"You can take your time!" The teen replied quickly, a little desperately. "I know it's far, but I’m not rushing or anything. And it's okay if you just take me closer to Pheonix, I'd be grateful for that.”

 

Sei blinked, thinking. He  _could_ drive to Phoenix, no problem. His original vague idea had been to drive to Vegas to get to the Grand Canyon National Park but he could get to the Grand Canyon from Arizona too. It would just take longer.  _And I have lots of time._

 

 

"Come on up then," Seijuurou reached over and cleared the maps that were on the seat beside him into the glove compartment as the boy clambered up the steps of the bus. His new passenger looked around with interest as he dropped into the cleared seat and his eyes widened as he took in the modifications made to the old school bus. Black jumped up to welcome the stranger and the boy laughed at the exuberant dog as he held out his hand for the dog to sniff, then proceeded to pet the silky ears. Black’s tail began to wag, hitting Seijuurou across the chest repeatedly.  _Stupid dog_.

 

The boy pulled off his beanie he was wearing, revealing carmine hair that matched his eyes. “Nice to meet you. My name’s Rin. Matsuoka Rin.” He offered his hand for Seijuurou to shake awkwardly.

 

“Same. I’m Mikoshiba Seijuurou. Seijuurou or Sei is fine,” He said as he put the bus into gear and started driving.

 

"And what’s his name?" Rin indicated the dog who had fallen into his lap, looking up at him adoringly as the boy scratched it under the chin. Sei felt a little chagrined at how easily the dog was won over. He spared them a glance, before looking out at the road again. “His name’s Black.”

 

“‘Black’?”

 

Sei smiled. “Because he’s as black as the coffee I drink. And it’s easy to call. He doesn’t answer to it all the time though. He’s a stray I picked up recently.”

 

"He’s a stray? You mean someone abandoned him? Sweetheart like him?" Rin sounded angry.

 

"Yeah," Seijuurou glanced at him. "I was at the San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge, like… Two weeks ago? He came out of nowhere. No owner. No collar, tags or microchip either. I put up some ‘Lost and Found’ posters, but no one called. Didn’t get around to putting him in the pound. After that, I started on this road trip and he…, just tagged along."

 

"It’s great that you adopted him."

 

Sei blinked at the road. He shook his head slowly. “It’s the other way around. It’s more like he adopted me.”

  
"He’s lovely," Rin stroked the ears again and Black looked back and forth between the two boys, laughing.

 


	3. I'm Just Running Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then.  
> People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.

Black kept the boy pinned to the chair but Seijuurou saw Rin keep looking back into the interior of the bus. He felt a bit of pride because the inside did look very good, especially when one had no idea, just looking from the outside.

 

Finally, the boy spoke up. “Can I ask you some questions about this bus?”

 

“Sure.” Seijuurou replied, keeping his eyes on the road. “If you answer some questions of mine later on.”

 

Rin paused, then nodded. “Is this an actual school bus?”

 

“Yeah, it is. It’s a 70-seater, or it used to be, before all the seats were removed.”

 

“You actually removed all the seats yourself?” Rin asked incredulously.

 

“Geez, no! Not alone!” Seijuurou snorted. “I did it with the help of some friends. This isn’t an original idea, you know.” He glanced over, a little amused at how raptly the boy was listening to him. “A design student modified a bus like this a few years ago as part of his thesis for small living spaces... His photos and story ended up on the Internet and Gizmodo. I just… modified the idea?”

 

“I see,” Rin nodded. “I see you have a sink? And a cooktop? Do you sleep on the couches?”

 

The sink’s not much. Foot operated pump. The bus is like four sections in one; bathroom, kitchen, sleeping, and seating. You could sleep on the couch, but the best place would be under the skylight, I think.” Sei pointed to the converted hatch in the ceiling. "You can make up the bed from the storage area just behind our seats."

 

“How long did _this_ take you? For the whole thing?” Rin waved at the whole vehicle.

 

“Eight weeks.” _In between therapy. Working on the bus had been therapeutic too._ “The original guy took fifteen, but he had to design and plan. Removing the seats, fixing the wood for insulation and the floor, running the electrical cabling for everything and setting up the water tanks. Oh! And removing the paint.” He stopped himself from rambling on.

 

“Yeah! I wanted to ask about that. Why is the bus gray? The original yellow would have been so much better!”

 

“Yeah, but it’s against the law for privately owned buses to be school-bus yellow. It’s a measure to stop perverts from snatching up children, apparently.” He sighed. It _had_ been a pity. The original colour had been very attractive. 

 

“The design makes the interior of the bus look huge," Rin observed, "Say, what's the mileage per gallon on this?”

 

“Thirteen to fifteen miles per gallon, on a hundred gallon diesel tank.”

 

"How much did the whole thing even cost?"

 

Sei was silent for a while. "About thirty grand," he said gruffly. 

 

Rin blinked and Seijuurou tensed. _It was rare for a person of Seijuurou's age to have that kind of money, right? And it might have been cheaper to buy a used mobile home._  Rin bit his lip, then spoke up. “I hope I’m not bothering you, asking questions like this. It’s just that this bus is fascinating. I’ve never seen anything like this before. It's also like,” he paused thinking, "a childhood dream I never knew I had till I saw it."

 

 _Whoa, that's a poetic thought._ "It's fine, I'm good." Seijuurou smiled. "Maybe you can answer some questions of mine too?”

 

Rin nodded his head.

 

“So, where are you from?” 

 

“San Diego.” Rin answered promptly.

 

“You’ve just started out then?"

 

Rin nodded in reply.

 

"How old are you?"

 

"Eighteen."  
  
  
"That's... young," Sei mused. _Well, I'm not much older, but still?_   "And what’s there for you in Phoenix?”

 

“Nothing." Sei raised an eyebrow at the blunt reply. "I'm going to explore around, then continue hitching from there," came the surprisingly candid answer. “I'm just … running away.”

 

Seijuurou huffed, and replied, "What a coincidence. So am I.”

 

"You are?" Rin leaned forward, eyes wide. "Where were you running to? Before I asked you to take me to Phoenix?" 

 

"I don’t know actually. Alaska? But I’m taking the _really, really_ long way around."

 

"Oh,... see the sights?" Rin sounded interested.

 

"Yeah, something like that,” Sei tried to explain, as much for himself, as the boy. “Grand Canyon, Utah, all the national parks? Then maybe all the way to the East Coast, chase a twister, wrestle an alligator or something. I have no plan. There's so much of the States I haven't seen." He grinned at Rin. "You're real lucky, you know, that I don't have a destination. Anywhere is fine." He returned his gaze to the road.

 

Rin sat back in his chair, looking amazed. "Why Alaska though?" He blurted. "Is there anything special there?"

 

"I don't know. Reindeer? Northern Lights? Santa Claus?" Sei said flippantly and then shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

 

"Santa Claus is at the North Pole, you know, not Alaska.” Rin teased. “But, wow," he paused. “That's one hell of a road trip."

 

"It is, isn't it." _But please don't ask the reason why for the road trip._

 

"When do you think you'll actually get there?" 

 

"I don't know,"  Seijuurou didn't know why, but he felt like he could admit this to Rin. "Sooner or later? Time really isn't an issue for me, you know?"

 

“The more I think about it, the more terrific it is," Rin said, his eyes shining. "This bus is perfect for such a road trip! You probably wouldn’t even need to leave the vehicle!” He said excitedly.

 

Seijuurou laughed at the ridiculous idea. _It felt good to laugh._ “No! You would! It looks big and comfortable, but it’s not a perfect living space or traveling vehicle, you know?" Rin looked like he didn't believe him, so he continued. "There’s a mile-long list of things I don’t have, but water is really the biggest issue." He indicated the sink with his thumb. "There's just twenty gallons in two tanks under the sink. That's not a lot, especially when I hit the really long roads. I can't have a shower or flushing toilet. Imagine the time needed to take a bath till I reach the next town. The max speed on this bus is about sixty miles per hour? It crawls when going uphill too, less than half that. The engine is just two hundred and thirty horsepower. The plywood installed is much heavier than the seats removed. You may not think a slow crawl matters, but it will when you see the long line of cars stuck behind.” He shook his head, snickering. “You'll see that the list goes on, man. ”

 

"And electricity too, I suppose?" Rin asked, seemingly abashed by his earlier naïveté.

 

"Actually, no," Sei said, with a little pride. "The original guy had big issues with electricity, but," he pointed at the roof again, "this bus has solar panels along part of the roof. All this sun," he indicated the bright outdoors, "is charging the rechargeable batteries right now. Enough for air conditioning in the day, lights at night, and charging whatever's needed." 

 

Rin nodded, tugging at Black’s ears. "Hey, Seijuurou? It's crazy, asking this out of the blue, but...,  _Can I join you_?" He blurted out in a rush.

 

“Join me?” Sei blinked.

 

"All the way to Alaska!" Rin said in a rush. "I'll share the cost of petrol, food and water with you!"

 

Sei looked at him, then turned back to the road. "You're right. It's crazy." He shook his head a little, still keeping his eyes on the road. "We don’t even know if can get along together. And I could be a crazy axe murderer on my way to dispose bodies in the desert for all you know."

 

Rin laughed and patted Black. "An axe murderer wouldn't have a nice dog like this."

 

"You obviously have not watched 'Dexter'," Sei guessed.

 

"What?" Rin tilted his head. "'Dexter'?"

 

"Never mind!" Sei waved his hand to avoid further confusion. "It’s a TV series. I'll let you watch it later." 

 

“Okay. But you’ll think about it?” Rin bounced a little in his seat.

 

"Will I get into trouble if you tag along? You didn't commit anything, did you? Or is there a missing person's report out? Even if It’s a little late to be asking such a thing.” Sei fought the urge to facepalm. 

 

"I'm clear. You won't get into trouble from me." Rin said confidently. 

 

"I'll think about it," Seijuurou sighed. “Say, do you know how to drive?"

 

"Yeah? I've got my license here. But I’ve never driven a bus before, though," Rin admitted.

 

"Can I see it?" Seijuurou asked matter-of-factly.

 

There was a long pause and silence. Sei looked over. The boy was petting Black, frowning. Finally, he sighed and dug into his bag, pulling out a card from his wallet.

 

Sei accepted the card and studied it. Name, check. City, check. Age, check. Rin seemed to have been truthful so far. "California license from San Diego... You really are eighteen? A bit young to be wandering around, eh? But it's good that you can drive. We can at least take turns.” He returned the card to Rin, then reached into the glove compartment and pulled out his own. A trade of information only seemed fair, after all. He waved his license at Rin. "Want to see mine? Just so you know I'm who I say I am."

 

The boy took his card with a small smile of relief on his face. "You look like a real surfer dude here,” he commented. Sei snorted as he remembered the spiked up hair and arrogant tilt of the head. “What?" Rin laughed. "You're only nineteen years old so you aren't that much older than me." He passed the driving license back.

 

They drove on in silence for a while.

 

Sei was considering asking Rin if he wanted music when Rin suddenly shifted and started rummaging around in his bag again. There was the sound of unsnapping buckles as he leaned forward to show something to Seijuurou.  It was a camera, a DSLR, the body a little scratched, but fairly dust- free.

 

"Hey, Seijuurou. Do you mind if I take some photos? You and Black might turn up in them, is that okay? I'm only taking them for the memories."

 

"Hmm?" Seijuurou blinked, a little distracted. "It's okay. Do what you want."

  
"Thanks!" Rin grinned. He promptly lifted the camera up and snapped a picture of him and Black.


	4. Soul Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soul music, beautiful views, lonely roads and random conversations.

**Destination: Anywhere Chapter 4 (MikoRin, Long Road Trip AU)**

_Soul Music_

 

_Along Kumayaay Highway, CA_

 

“Do you want music?” Seijuurou asked. He wondered if Rin was okay with the silence. It was different, travelling in silence with a person, even if he himself was avidly staring out of the window in the seat beside him. Driving along the highway provided a different view from what he was used to in the city, but seeing nothing but the backs of cars and tarmac in the glaring sun grew tiring after a while.

 

“Sure, if you don’t mind?” Rin looked back at him, smiling. “I know some people can’t have music when they’re driving.”

 

“Heh?” Sei smiled a little at the boy’s consideration. “Don’t worry, I’m not one of them.” Sei leaned over and switched on the radio.

 

_“A murder charge was filed Friday against a Murrieta man accused of killing his wife, who was an Escondido police officer…”_

 

 _Ugh_ _,_  Sei thought and changed the radio channel.

_“According to a new study, many parents of obese children don't see their offspring as unhealthy, even if their weight is at a dangerous level…”_

 

 _What?_ Sei changed the radio channel again.

 

_“A man suspected of punching a 76-year-old driver in the face following an apparent road rage incident has been arrested, El Cajon police announced Friday. According to police, the 56-year-old male was booked into jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and assault causing great bodily injury...”_

 

 _Last chance,_ Sei thought as he changed the radio channel again.

 

_“Dozens of apartment homes were evacuated Thursday after a man was found collapsed in the street and suffering from a gunshot wound, officials with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department told NBC 7…”_

 

 _Fuck,_  Sei switched the radio off. He hadn’t been listening to the news lately, and he now remembered why. When had the radio become all about news reports? And bad news at that? What had happened to the music?

 

He looked at Rin, noting that his lips were pressed into a thin line and he looked pale. “The world’s getting to be a real fucked-up place nowadays,” Rin said quietly.

 

Seijuurou nodded his head, sighing.

 

They drove on a while longer in silence before Rin spoke up. “I have some music in my iPod, if you don’t mind?”

 

“Yeah, that would be good,” Sei said in relief. “I’ve a cable here you can use to hook up to the sound system.”

 

Rin dislodged Black from his lap for a while (earning a reproachful glance from the dog), and dug into his bag, unearthing his music device. He scrolled down the screen for a moment before plugging it in.

 

Sei smiled appreciatively as the quiet percussion and smooth guitar chords that made up the first few bars of the song came over the speakers. “‘Lifted’, by Lighthouse Family,” he guessed. “Good choice.”

 

“Yeah, I guessed we could use some soul music now, especially after all that stuff over the radio,” Rin grinned back, pleased that his selection had been well received.

 

“This is the first song from this pair that I learnt to play on the guitar,” Sei remembered.

 

“You play?” Rin looked at him in surprise. “I do too. Acoustic guitar? Or classical?”

 

“Acoustic, steel strings,” he looked at Rin nodding excitedly. “I’ve my guitar in the back.”

 

Rin’s eyes widened. “You have your guitar? That’s great!” His smile turned a little sad. “I’ve had to leave mine behind.”

 

“A guitar’s a difficult thing to bring backpacking with you,” Sei said, trying to sympathize.

 

“Yeah,” Rin said softly.

 

“I can let you play her, tonight, if you want.” Sei offered.

 

“Really? Thanks!” Rin’s face lit up. “I’ll play if you play too.” He grinned.

\----------------------

 

Rin was actually pretty good company, Sei thought. He was cheerful, sharp and observant, comfortable to be with and he didn’t ask unnecessary questions. He grew less reserved as the trip progressed and was soon joking with Seijuurou like they were old friends. It alleviated the monotony of the road trip better than the music did.

 

_(There was just one point in their conversation that stood out strangely for Seijuurou; when they were talking about the perils of hitchhiking. Rin had been sharing how he had to fend off a few amorous advances of drivers, both male and female, who had tried to get too familiar with him (and somehow making it seem funny, rather than dangerous), that Sei had commented, "You know, it’s not your fault for being really cute and all, but you’ve been really lucky so far. Hitchhiking is dangerous."_

_Rin had fallen silent, and Seijuurou wondered if something else might have happened on the road, something that Rin had not shared._

_Finally, Rin said, “I've always been lucky.”_

_Sei wondered at the strange inflection in his tone. It didn’t seem like he was talking only about hitchhiking.)_

 

\----------------------

 

_Alpine, CA, USA_

 

The traffic along the Kumayaay Highway thinned as Seijuurou drove through the towns of La Mesa, El Cajon, and arrived in the small town of Alpine.

 

(Seijuurou thought the little sunny desert town with its 15,000 population was inappropriately named. Rin, browsing through the internet on his cell phone, suddenly laughed and shared that the town had been named in the 1880s by a pioneer who believed that the environment was similar to her native home in Switzerland.  _Geez,_  thought Seijuurou, squinting against the bright glare of the March sun.  _Has it ever snowed here before?_ )

 

 

By car, it should have taken only an hour, but by bus, it had taken a little more than two and a half. Google Maps time estimates should be tripled instead of doubled as a rule of thumb from now on, Sei thought, grimacing. His arms hurt, and his sunglasses were pinching his nose. He needed a break. He spotted a small supermarket along the street and turned the bus into the nearly empty parking area next to it, parking the bus at the far end. He stopped the bus with a sigh of relief, then stretched to get the kinks out. Rin echoed his sigh of relief as well, then looked at Seijuurou for instructions.

 

“We’re spending the night at Mount Laguna,” he said, feeling a little embarrassed at imposing his plans on Rin, even though Rin had asked to join his pilgrimage without conditions. “It’s another thirty miles away but it’s all uphill from here. The views should be great though. According to Maps, this might be the last place we can get stuff, so we should stock up a little. Enough for the next two or three days.”

 

\----------------------

 

In the supermarket, Sei got potatoes, onions and apples. Pasta sauce and spaghetti. Minced beef. A loaf of bread, some bacon. He decided to risk getting fresh eggs as well.  _With Rin here, we’d need to get more bottled water_ , he thought.  _At least another carton’s worth_ _._  He wandered over to Rin, who staring at a tall refrigerator full of ice cream. "If you stare any harder, you'd melt the glass,” he teased. “You want ice cream for dessert?" Rin looked up at him and Sei had to clamp down on the urge to laugh at the guilty expression on his face.

 

"I can't decide if I should get the rum and raisin or strawberry," Rin confessed.

 

"Hmmmm," they both stood there together, staring at the choices available. "Why not get both?" Sei suggested.

 

“It’s not practical, is it? You don’t have a refrigerator, so we can’t keep what’s left. It’d only spoil,” Rin chewed on his lip.

 

"Actually, I do have a refrigerator. A small one though.” He grinned at Rin’s surprise. “Solar powered. Remind me to give you a tour of the bus later." Sei said absently, turning back to the fridge.

 

"What are you getting?" Rin asked hopefully. "Can we share? I probably can't finish one on my own."

 

"Eh~~, I'm not crazy about those flavours,” Sei made a face. “If you can't decide, you should consider a third flavour. Like this one," Sei advised, pointing to a pint named 'Caramel Whirl with Godzilla Pistachio and Raspberry Pudding Chunks'.”

 

“ _Yuck,_ ” said Rin and Sei almost burst out laughing at Rin's nauseated expression.

 

" _Then_ , the flavour that pops into your head first is the one you really want."

 

Rin opened the door and reached for the strawberry ice cream.

 

"See? Easy decision." Mikoshiba smiled triumphantly. "Me, I'm getting this one." He snagged a pint of Triple Chocolate Rocky Road and dropped it into the basket. "Or we can forget having a proper dinner, and just eat ice cream." He considered the other flavours in the fridge.

 

"No!" Rin looked slightly apoplectic. Maybe he was picturing all the odd flavours they’d end up with. "We'll rot our teeth."

 

Sei grinned down at him (bared his teeth and stuck his tongue out), and winked as he moved off to get the bottled water. Rin’s reactions made it fun to tease him. "Haven't yet. But I was kidding. I'll see you at the cashier."

 

\--------------

 

_Sunrise Highway, Laguna Mountain Recreational Area, Cleveland National Park, CA_

 

The bus toiled tirelessly up the slope to Mount Laguna at a max speed of thirty miles per hour, and Sei gave thanks that the traffic along the road was sparse so he didn’t create some godawful holdup behind him. (The few cars that came from behind were able to overtake the bus with ease.) The snail’s pace was made worthwhile however, by the scenic views; the sky impossibly blue over the green and gold pine forests of the National Park. The pine and oak trees that lined the road were a welcome change from the desertscape earlier in the day.

 

Sei pulled over at a platform that overlooked the desert from a lofty six thousand feet to let the engine take a rest. He grinned as he indicated that Rin should grab his camera and follow him as he opened the skylight and climbed out to stand on the roof of the bus in the sun. Black whined as they climbed up and out, leaving it behind.

 

“Wow!” Rin breathed as he took in the view from the elevated vantage point.

 

“Careful,” Seijuurou cautioned as Rin took a step forward. “You don’t want to fall off.”

 

“Yeah, but this is really amazing!” Rin carefully turned around, trying to make sure he didn’t miss any part of the view. “How do I take a picture that would capture everything?” he mourned.

 

“With this,” Seijuurou pointed to his right temple. “You've got to remember everything with your eyes and your heart. Photographs will never capture the moment. It’s your memories that do. And you can't share those.”

 

Rin looked at him in surprise. “That’s kind of romantic,” He grinned at Seijuurou.

 

He took some photos of the view, then set the camera down. He took a deep breath and raised his arms up, as if trying to touch the cloudless sky and Seijuurou mirrored him. The sun was hot and bright, the air clean and dry. Sei could feel the sun drying his skin, the prickle as sweat formed on his forehead. A slight breeze blew and tugged at their hair and clothes, cooling them a little, and Sei wasn’t sure if the hurt in his chest was from the guilt for being here or from suddenly realising he was undeniably alive in this moment.

 

“I feel like screaming,” Rin suddenly confided. “Loudly.”

 

“Huh?” Seijuurou gaped at him, then looked around. “There’s no one here now.” He shrugged. “Do what you want.”

 

“Really?” Rin flashed him a bright, manic grin at his permission and turned to the horizon, taking a couple of deep breaths. He let loose a wail that shocked Seijuurou and set Black to barking madly, down in the bus.

 

The cry hit Seijuurou at some visceral level and he felt like crying out too. It was sad  and alive and wild and brought to mind wolves howling at the moon. It was surprising that Rin should have such a cry bottled up inside of him, and he wondered how long Rin had been feeling this way.

 

Finally, Rin ran out of breath and his cry petered away. He panted as he turned to Seijuurou, wiping at his eyes. “That was nice. Do you want to yell, too?”

 

Sei looked at him, wide-eyed. He  _wanted_  to, but he wasn't sure how to.

 

Rin graced him with that manic smile again. "I'll yell along with you if you want. Come on, a deep breath, now."

 

And the two boys turned to the horizon and yelled at the world. It was easier than Seijuurou had thought it would be and… it turned out that he had a loud cry bottled up inside of him too.

 

(When they finally came back into the bus, poor Black greeted them with lots of confused whines and tail-wagging, and both Seijuurou and Rin patted and showered it with affection.)

 

\-------------

 

_Laguna Campground, Laguna Mountain Recreational Area, Cleveland National Park, CA_

 

They pulled up into the Laguna campground after paying the fee to the Visitor Centre. There were no hookups for electricity, but there was potable water, which suited Seijuurou just fine.

 

Rin had remained mostly quiet after the earlier incident, and Seijuurou hoped he was alright. 

 

“Hey Rin, come here and learn your way around.” He opened the compartment that housed the battery. “You remember the solar panels on the roof of the bus?" Rin nodded, so he continued. “They generate electricity which is stored in this battery here.” He patted the box that housed the battery.

 

“The numbers on top indicate the percentage of charge remaining in the battery. It’s almost fully charged now. We can use the fridge, the electric stove, lights and air conditioning at night like this. If you want to charge anything, the power outlets are here, here and there in the wall,” Seijuurou pointed at the locations of the outlets at the front, middle and back of the bus. He waited patiently  for Rin to assimilate the information.

 

He then indicated another electronic display where four numbers were shown. “This shows how each panel is performing. As long as we have five to six hours of sun, we are set for the day’s electrical needs. If you notice the numbers falling below this, you need to tell me, because something’s probably blocking the panels on the roof and we need to clear it.”

 

He opened up the pantry compartment built into the long couch lining the side of the bus and waited for Rin to come up beside him. "Here's where I keep the dry stuff." He indicated a large plastic storage box. "Salt, pepper, sugar, instant coffee, cereal, energy bars, some pasta and stuff. Here's the canned stuff," he indicated two large cardboard boxes fitted snugly against each other. "Tuna, corned beef, soup, beans, spam, peaches, pineapples, you get the idea. That said, we should break into the canned food only when we run of fresh stuff. The small box over there's just dry dog food," he continued and Rin nodded, taking it in. Seijuurou opened up the drawers. "Bottled water here and here, pots, pans and dishes are here, cutlery's here, soap and washing stuff's here," he pointed at the respective cartons.

 

"Wow, you really brought a lot of stuff for this road trip." Rin looked daunted at the quantity of Sei's belongings.

 

"I may not know where I'm going, but I wouldn't want to have a hard time getting there, you know? On the other hand, if I lost everything on this bus... " Sei paused for a while, thinking. "I probably wouldn't care as much as you think I would either."

 

\-----------

 

They explored the campground with Black for an hour or two, then returned to the bus to prepare dinner. Rin turned out to be pretty helpful in the kitchen. They boiled the spaghetti and fried chopped onions and minced beef till fragrant on the electric stove. After adding the pasta sauce and bringing the sauce to a boil, they had spaghetti with meatballs. Sei thought it was pretty good for their first meal on the road.

 

"Here's an apple. Catch." Seijuurou tossed the apple to Rin.

 

Rin caught the apple and studied it with a curious half-smile as Seijuurou sat down next to him and inspected his own apple. He brandished his apple at Seijuurou. "Did you know that apples are from Kazakhstan?"

 

Seijuurou had just taken a bite out of his own apple so he couldn't answer straight away. He chewed his apple and swallowed. "No, but I do now. Where's that?" He asked, bemused, taking another bite.

 

"Central Asia, just below Russia. It's the ninth largest country in the world."

 

"Hmmmmm," Seijuurou hummed as he chewed, not sure where the conversation was leading.

 

"Sorry," Rin laughed. "I'm just full of useless trivia, sometimes."

 

"No, it's ok. Go on. I like trivia."

 

"Go on about what? Kazakhstan, or apples?" Rin bit into his own apple with a crunch.

 

"Ah, apples," Seijuurou decided. 

 

"Ok." Rin thought for a while. He smiled at Seijuurou mischievously as he began. "Apples appear in many religious and pagan traditions, often as a mystical or forbidden fruit."

 

"The bible, right?" Seijuurou tried to keep pace with the strange conversation, interested in what Rin had to say.

 

"Yes,” Rin nodded. “In Greek mythology, too. The Greek goddess of discord, Eris, became pissed after she was excluded from some wedding. In retaliation, she tossed a golden apple, " Rin mimed the tossing action with the apple in his hand, "inscribed with 'For the most beautiful one', into the wedding party.”

 

Sei blinked. "Uh huh."  _Goddess of Discord, indeed._

 

“Three goddesses claimed the apple,” Rin continued, speaking slowly so that Seijuurou could follow. “Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. This dude, Paris of Troy, was appointed to select the so-called 'most beautiful one'. After being bribed by all three goddesses, Aphrodite's offer of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta, tempted him the most. So, he awarded the apple to Aphrodite," (Rin made a show of offering the apple to Sei), "and indirectly caused the fuckup known as the Trojan War.”

 

Sei continued chewing on his apple, listening raptly.  _Rin was actually a pretty good story-teller._

 

“From then on, in ancient Greece, the apple," he waved his apple at Sei again, "was considered to be sacred to Aphrodite,  _the goddess of love, and to throw an apple at someone was to symbolically declare one's love_ ,” Rin purred (Sei froze upon hearing that, eyes wide) “and,  _to catch it was to show one's acceptance of that love._ ” Rin looked straight into Seijuurou’s eyes, did some needlessly sexy thing with his eyebrows and bit into his apple with a smirk.

 

Jesus  _Christ_ _._  Sei couldn't decide whether to laugh or speak, and choked instead.

 

Rin laughed long and loudly at Sei’s reaction as he thumped him on the back. "You’re lucky we aren't in ancient Greece. Oh! But there's a town a few miles from here called Julian," Rin recalled as he continued patting Sei’s back. "That's really famous for its apple pies. We should visit it just before we leave this place."

 

Sei finally recovered enough to swat his hand away as he began to laugh too. “You built up that story really well, you asshole. But I think I’ve had enough apples for a while.”

  
“Aw, man,” Rin sighed, not seeming disappointed in the least. “I really like apple pie.”

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s notes:
> 
> Writers make the cruelest gods. =\ I have no excuse.  
> Except that maybe, this is the road trip that I would like to go on. 
> 
> Setting is in the USA and I have never been there.  
> Google Maps is my friend in this. *laughs nervously*  
> Oh, and Sei starts his trip out from San Diego.
> 
> https://www.google.com.sg/maps/dir/Los+Angeles/Phoenix,+AZ,+USA/@34.3658159,-113.2811173,7z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2c75ddc27da13:0xe22fdf6f254608f4!2m2!1d-118.2436849!2d34.0522342!1m5!1m1!1s0x872b12ed50a179cb:0x8c69c7f8354a1bac!2m2!1d-112.0740373!2d33.4483771!5i1
> 
> If I have written any blunders into the story, please tell me.  
> Otherwise, I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Written for this prompt:
> 
> A is running away from something in their past.Walking along the road because their car broke down, they’re determined to put as much distance between them and what they’re running from as possible. B, driving away from something also, aimlessly wandering or possibly just trying to get to a destination, stops and picks up A. They spend the next few days/weeks/however long getting to know one another, connecting, sharing their lives, crying, laughing, traveling together, doesn’t even have to be a ship, could just be an incredible friendship. and in the end they can part ways forever changed or stick together. however it pans out.


End file.
